RI on par with rich states on drug abuse
RI on par with rich states on drug abuse
JAKARTA (JP): The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has placed Indonesia on the same level as developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico and Sweden, when it comes to drug abuse.
Sirat Atmodjo, one of the board's 13 members, said yesterday the independent body has just finished a report evaluating drugs- related crime rates in the 13 member countries. It found, among other things, a rapid increase in the rate of abuse of Ecstasy, a stimulant associated with the rave scene.
The current INCB members are the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Mexico, Germany, Venezuela, Pakistan, Thailand, Portugal, Chile, Russia, Egypt and Indonesia.
Ecstasy pills are a mixture of an amphetamine derivative, caffeine, the hallucinogen LSD and other substances that are not clearly identifiable.
A new study shows the pill may cause depression and irreversible brain damage since it dismantles the brain cells that release the neurotransmitter serotonin, thought to be involved in the regulation of mood and impulsive behavior.
In a press conference held at the United Nations Information Center, Sirat blamed the wide publicity of the drug as the reason why its abuse is on the rise.
The media has not only written reports that associate the drug with a fashionable lifestyle, but also with recreational activities, he said.
"The Indonesian media should be more careful in reporting dangerous pills," he said.
A local agency, however, was more cautious in putting Indonesia in the same category as developed countries in terms of drug abuse.
M.D. Tanjung, an official at the inter-departmental agency for drugs control, known by its Indonesian acronym Bakorlak Inpres, admitted there has been an increase in the abuse rate but there are still noticeable differences between Indonesia and developed countries.
For one, Indonesia is a religious community with a lot of taboos, he said. "Parents in Western countries allow their children to have extramarital sex, but here we see it as a taboo," Tanjung said
For the past five years the Indonesian police and the Attorney General's Office have handled 12,000 cases related to the abuse of drugs including Ecstasy.
Tanjung, however, suspected that the actual figure could be ten times higher.
The government is currently preparing legislation against the abuse of the psychotropic drugs, which would cover Ecstasy, Tanjung said.
The narcotics control board was established in 1961 by the Social and Economic Council of the United Nations. Its headquarters is in Vienna while members serve in their personal capacity and not as government representatives. (01)